AUBURN — Political newcomer Andrew Lewis of Auburn took a large lead in early voting and held off independent John Michael to win a seat on the Androscoggin County Commission.

Andrew Lewis

Lewis, a Democrat, finished with 51.5% of the vote for a total of 3,052 in District 5, which includes New Auburn and east and downtown Auburn. Michael received 48.5% of the vote, or 2,869 votes in his bid for reelection.

A 569-vote advantage in early voting was just enough to provide Lewis with the needed cushion to win.

Michael was victorious in Wards 1 and 2, 1,259 to 1,028; Ward 3, 584-407; and Ward 4, 136-118.

Lewis, 39, received a degree from the University of Maine at Farmington. He has been married for 11 years and has a 7-year-old child. He is active in the Auburn Democratic Party, Washburn PTO and Stanton Bird Club, which oversees the Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary in Lewiston.

Michael, 71, is well-known in local and state politics. He previously served eight nonconsecutive terms in the Maine Legislature beginning in 1978 through 2002 and has worked as a petition drive coordinator for citizen initiatives and candidate petitions.

Lewis’ victory changes the makeup of the board to four Republicans and three Democrats. He will be sworn in in January to start his four-year term.

The other five incumbents for the Androscoggin County Commission won their races.

In District 1, Edouard Plourde of Lewiston defeated Democrat Bret Martel, 2,395 to 1,511.

In District 3, Republican Brian Ames of Lewiston outlasted Democrat challenger William Coffin, 4,279 to  3,288. The seat includes Greene, Durham and parts of Lewiston.

Garrett Mason of Lisbon, the former Republican majority leader of the Maine State Senate, defeated Democrat Greg Bianconi, 4,379 to 2,704 in District 4, which includes Lisbon, Sabattus and Wales.

In District 7, commission Chairman Sally Christner, a Republican from Turner, eased past Democrat Amanda Ricci of Livermore Falls, 4,947 to 2,626, to win a third term.

In District 2, Democrat Roland Poirier of Lewiston ran unopposed.

To view a detailed map of the county districts go to: https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/2013/CountyCommissioner/and.pdf